Sault police investigating after missing tourist found dead
Detectives in Sault Ste. Marie are investigating after the body of a missing tourist was found in St. Marys River on Sunday.
Colton Brown, 20, arrived in the Sault with a tour group June 20 and was seen leaving the Delta Hotel on St. Mary's River Drive the next evening.
Colton Brown, 20, was visiting Sault Ste. Marie with a tour group when he went missing and was later found dead in St. Marys River. June 21, 2024. (Sault Ste. Marie Police Service)
"Colton is not from Sault Ste. Marie and is unfamiliar with the community," Sault Ste. Marie Police Service said in a missing person alert around 1:28 p.m. June 22.
Sharilyn Anderson-Brown, his older sister, told CTVNewsNorthernOntario.ca in a social media message her brother was from Kasabonika Lake First Nation, a remote fly-in community north of Sioux Lookout.
She said her brother wasin the Sault as part of an Ontario colleges field trip.
Before Brown went missing, he was seen around 4 a.m. Saturday in the Roberta Bondar Pavilion area, police said.
In an update Sunday night, police said Brown had been located and was no longer considered missing.
It wasn't until Monday afternoon that police said he had been found dead.
"Colton was missing for a short period of time before being found deceased in the St. Mary’s River," police said in an update.
"If you saw, or had an interaction with, Colton downtown during the evening of June 21 and/or into the early morning hours of Saturday, June 22, or heard anything unusual, please contact police."
As the investigation continues, community members are asked to review security camera footage during that timeframe.
Brown had been described as 6-foot-1, slender build with black, bushy hair and was last seen wearing a blue and white checkered shirt, black coat, pants, shoes and hat with glasses.
"Anyone with information is urged to contact Det. Sgt. Alison Campbell by calling 705-949-6300 ext. 288," Sault, police said.
"You can provide information anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at 705-942-7867 or 1-800-222-8477. You can also click here to submit a web tip or download the P3 app. Your tip to Crime Stoppers is anonymous and protected by case law, for more information."
Anderson-Brown said in a social media post the family travelled to the Sault from Thunder Bay to see where his body was found.
"My mom and dad needed to know, so we went, it was beautiful out there," she said in a post.
"Went to place naasemah and pray for his journey. Trying so hard to be strong, I could rant forever right now. I love you."
His grieving sister said an autopsy will be performed in Toronto to determine the cause of death.
"He is extremely loved by many and we hope we find out what exactly happened because this is painful not knowing how, when and possibly why," she told CTV News.
"He had dreams to go back to school. He wanted to take a break off of school for another year to save money and be with his loved ones, especially his girlfriend, before he went back. He was telling me he loved Cambrian and Sault College and he was having a hard time choosing between the two."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'You are not my king,' Indigenous Australian senator yells at visiting King Charles
An Indigenous senator told King Charles III that Australia is not his land as the royal visited Australia's parliament on Monday.
opinion Seven ways to help you save on everyday expenses
In his column for CTVNews.ca, personal finance contributor Christopher Liew shares some of the best ways to save on everyday expenses, to help you keep up with life and get back on top of your financial health.
Precedent-setting terrorism lawsuit hearings begin in federal court
After waiting 15 years, Canadian Abousfian Abdelrazik will finally get the chance to hold the federal government accountable for its alleged complicity which led to his imprisonment and torture in Sudan.
How an off-duty lifeguard found a missing 17-year-old in the ocean
It was a typical Wednesday evening for Noland Keaulana, who was fixing his truck at his grandparents’ house when he received an alert on his phone about a 17-year-old missing off the Honolulu coast.
Cubans struggle with an extended power outage and a new tropical storm
Cuba's widespread blackouts stretched into their fourth day as Hurricane Oscar crossed the island's eastern coast with winds and heavy rain.
Crowd in Egypt attacks a railway guard after 2 children are run over
Angry residents attacked a railway guard and his post in a town outside Cairo on Monday after a train ran over and killed two children crossing a train intersection that was closed to pedestrians, officials said.
'It was a good choice': This U.S. couple say their living costs dropped by nearly US$3,000 a month when they moved to Italy
The retired elementary teachers, Tony and Francine Smarrelli, originally from Syracuse, New York, resolved to leave the U.S. and move to Italy for good. They say they’ve cut back nearly US$3,000 per month on expenses, which amounts to US$36,000 a year, since moving there permanently.
Jennifer Lawrence expecting second child with husband Cooke Maroney
Jennifer Lawrence will soon be a mom of two. The Oscar-winning actress is pregnant with her second child, a representative for Lawrence told Vogue on Sunday.
Minimum wage of some temporary foreign workers set to change
The federal government is expected to boost the minimum hourly wage that must be paid to temporary foreign workers in the high-wage stream as a way to encourage employers to hire more Canadian staff.